I just completed the financial transaction and am awaiting shipment of one of the late Tim Bucher's basses (the beautiful custom Signature he got through Will Gunn). As a result I'm looking to sell my 86 Walnut Distillate and 73 walnut EB-3. I'm looking to get a fair price for each and have noticed that people are attempting to sell for a wide range prices both here and on eBay. I'll be posting photos when I return from Alaska (it was -28 F here this morning) but am wondering what fair prices would be. They are both in excellent condition with the Distillate being immaculate with no dings and not even a hint of crazing on the back. Does $2100 sound like a fair asking price for a Distillate of this age and does anyone know what a 73 EB3 would be worth?

By the way...thanks a ton Jazzyvee. I never would have been aware of the availability of one of Tim's basses if not for your response to one of my postings.

Stuck in Fairbanks Alaska where I am coaching at the National Junior Olympics cross country ski meet so pics will need to wait until I return home to Minnesota next Tuesday. You would think that having lived in Minnesota for many years I'd be used to the cold but standing outside yesterday for 7 hours while the competition took place was numbing to say the least as we've had low temps of -25 to -30 F while we've been here. If I lived here I honestly don't know if I would ever let my Alembics out of the house in these temps.

More than years few now. I purchased it I believe in 2007 from a guy in Colorado. It looks a little different but does a great job preventing neck dive regardless of the position in which one plays. On the other hand, I've spoken with a number of other "distillantes" over the past several years and only one of them ever mentioned having a problem with neck dive.

I hate to sell the thing but in the last three months I had a custom Signature Deluxe built and just accepted delivery of the late Tim Bucher's short scale, highly customized, Signature standard that he purchased from Will Gunn which Jazzyvee pointed out to me.

I hope to get out to Portland to visit my son sometime soon. It may be a while though. He doesn't want his mother and father visiting until he gets a job and a place of his own.

I can understand that since he's currently living with about 10 different people with not much more than a guitar and a duffle-bag in to which he stuffed as much of his clothing as he could.

I'll keep you posted.

Though I am thinking of starting a new thread to ask the question "How many people sold their 1st Alembic and now regret it?" On the other hand, four basses at home isn't sitting that well with the Mrs. since I am only really playing the medium scale Signature Deluxe I had built and the sweet short scale signature standard with a SC body that I recently purchased from Tim Bucher's estate.

Photos were recently posted in the showcase section of the 3/4 size Signature Deluxe I had built. As you can see from the photos "I ain't no photographer" so I've sort of been waiting for a nice day to get the short scale SC outside for some better photos. Unfortunately we got 6.5 inches of new snow last night in my part of Minnesota so it might be a few days before I can do that.

It's a old but classic design Gibson bass, typically of the short-scale variety, probably made most famous through its use by Jack Bruce. A highly modified long scale (I think) version was used by Phil Lesh both prior to his getting his Guild Starfire modified by Alembic and after the Gibson was stolen (or lost). From what I recall the instrument had modified hardware, preamps, and Guild single coil pickups installed by Alembic as well as a crazy paint job.

Thanks for the offer. I'll do that. Of course it may be a while since my son wants the visit to be contingent on his first getting a job and then a place with a friend of his in which he is not a squatter.

Phil's was originally an EB-0 (1 p/pup), and it was short scale. The Bi-Sonic p/ups probably came off a Guild, but they were made by Hagstrom. The paint job was by Bob Thomas, who also designed the Alembic logo & did the cover for Live/Dead.

It's only been recently with the reissues (IMHO crap) that Gibson has been referring to them as SG basses. The EB-0 had a single pick-up the EB-3 both a neck and bridge pup. The original EB-3 pups had a very distinctive muddy sound that I don't think had the clarity that Phil desired. Listen to some of Jack Bruce's live work with Cream and you'll see, or more accurately put, hear, what I mean. When driven hard I've read that Bruce referred to the sound as "sonic farting."

It was my understanding (mostly from what I've read in books on the GD's instruments and I don't know how accurate any of it is) that Phil initially played an EB-0, then moved to a Fender, then version 1 of the Guild Starfire, after which he switched to the heavily modified Gibson EB3. Eventually, he lost or had the EB-3 stolen and subsequently played the Godfather.

But then again, I'm not a GD historian like some of the people out there so, I could be wrong as to some or all of these accounts.

I really liked the sound that Phil got from that Alembic modified Gibson EB-0 . His finger plucking period sound ranks very high in my appreciation of his experimental nature. The live recordings that I have heard of his thunderous counterpointal playing from this period still inspires me daily.

I think that's pretty close. However, I think there was only one Starfire. My reasoning for that is if you look at the early Starfire pictures (Rosie took a great one with Phil up against the amps playing feedback), you can see the plastic plate on the back that was added for access when it was originally modded. If you see pictures of the Starfire as Big Brown, it also has the same black plastic plate on the back (you can see it clearly in the Phil and Friends video from the Warfield with Scofield).

The EBO with mods did get stolen. Dan Schwartz has told the story of meeting the guy who bought it in a pawn shop for $400 in the late 70s. He got in touch with Phil and offered it up to him for his cost, but Phil declined. Dan played the bass once, but lost touch with the guy who had it. So, last we know, it was sitting in a closet in Orange County, CA.

I'd really like to find what remains of the Osage Orange bass. Apparently it suffered a few too many experiments and became structurally compromised and was last heard of somewhere in Chicago.

There were some great discussions and some photos about these basses on the Dudepit, but they all disappeared when the site went down. Bummer.

I am also curious as Peter as to how far the strap button extension rod penetrates the upper horn of the Bass. I am also curious how it is attached such as epoxy or threaded insert ,etc... How easy or difficult would it be to remove and restore to original ? Did Alembic install the extension and if not who did the work ? I realize that these questions might be difficult to answer but they have been on my mind since I first saw this Bass.

"However, Phil told me, 'My Starfire bass was stolen from a gig in L.A. just before Monterey Pop. I played a Fender Jazz at the festival and for some time afterward, until I could afford a new Starfire.'"1

"Not surprisingly, Phil was intrigued by [the Alembicizing of Casady's Starfire], and in late spring 1969 he turned over his own Guild bass....He switched back to his...EB-0, which had been hot-rodded itself....Phil would play this bass through the spring of 1971, after which he would unleash the 'Alembicized' Guild Starfire...."2

Hm, interesting. The bass shown at the link below, is in 1968, and is clearly the bass that became big brown, and given the strap position, etc., is also probably the one shown in pix from 1967. It's possible that he could have done the same strap button move, but it looks very similar in so many respects (and no, I'm not a seen one Starfire you've seen 'em all kinda guy!).

No idea as to how far the strap button extension rod extends in to the bass or if it was done at the factory. It's not what I'd call a pretty addition to the bass, but it has been quite functional. Does anyone else have an extended strap button on their bass that was done at Alembic against which we can compare? Or at least a close up photo of an 85-86 strap lock button that we can compare to the one on my bass.

By the way, my infor on Phil's bass came from a combination of the Gd gear book and a piece on Phil's bass history on Philzone attributed to none other than Edwin.

Mystery solved: as the 1st Starfire was ripped off sometime before June 16, that would make all of those shots (and I agree, they're obviously the same bass) the 2nd Starfire, with some mods - like Michael before Vito's heart attack, training to become the Godfather.

Is the extension screwed on? If so, would you be willing to unscrew it to satisfy Wolf's & my curiosty? (If not, no prob - I completely understand).

Unfortunately, the extension is bonded in to the body. You would need a pro to get it off. I've been meaning to take it in to Brown's Guitar Factory which his located about 4 miles from where I live to see if I can have it removed, but have never gotten around to it.

I have given this rod removal possibility some thought . The prime directive it seems would be to do as little damage to the bass it's self in the process of removing the rod. I have done quite a bit of tinkering in my time, both mechanical and electronic as well as working with wood.

This could work ; 1) Cut the rod to within a 1/4 " from the surface of the penetration point on the upper horn of the bass. 2) Drill a pilot hole in the center of the rod 3) Tap the pilot hole with a fine threaded tap so that a stainless steel machine screw can very securely hold the the strap button. I would chose Schaller security strap buttons . The important choice would be to chose the correct machine screw pitch and dimensions for the job. NOT to small and NOT to big. I think a 8-32 countersunk machine screw might work. The dangerous aspect of this procedure could be that you only get one shot to do it right and then you have to go to a larger size such as 10-32 witch will not fit in a Schaller strap button . The strap button would have to be drilled out to fit a 10-32.